Night - Night/Long Distance

In the late 1970's singers Stevie Vann (aka Stevie Lange) and ex-Earthband singer Chris Thompson met when Vann was performing background vocals for a Manfred Mann's Earthband album. Thompson approached Vann to form a band, known as Night, soon after Vann's own backing group, Bones had split up. Night then later split in 1983 after releasing two albums.











1979 Night - Night
1981 Night - Long Distance

Paul Jones - Crucifix in a Horseshoe

As lead singer of Manfred Mann during their early run of hits, Paul Jones was far more influential than people realize. After leaving the Manfreds in 1966, Jones made one of the greatest cult films of all time, 1967's Privilege. In 1972 Jones recorded Crucifix in a Horseshoe with White Cloud, a New York based session group featuring Teddy Wender on keyboards and Kenny Kosek on fiddle.

Mike Hugg - Stress & Strain

The second Mike Hugg solo album released in 1973. The album features Elton Dean on sax, Tony Rivers (Keyboards, Vocals), Mick Waller (drums), Paul Westwood (bass), Lyn Dobson (horn), Kevin Peek (guitar), Sonny Corbett (horn), Kim Gardner (bass), Eddy Grant (guitar), David Hadfield (guitar) and Ian Carr (horn).

Mike Hugg - Somewhere

Mike Hugg was first known as a founding member of the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, who evolved into the 1960's group Manfred Mann. Hugg was a competent pianist and an able vibraphonist, but his basic role in Manfred Mann was that of drummer. He was credited as co-writer of the group's early hits and contributed solo compositions throughout its life, including jazzy instrumentals and wistful acid-pop. When he and Manfred Mann formed the more progressive Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Hugg moved to electric piano and lead vocals, the latter, by his own account, purely for want of someone better. Mike Hugg released three solo albums in the 1970's, 1972's Somewhere is his first.

Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Cosmic Corn Cob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils (Part II)

1980 Ozark Mountain Daredevils
1987 Heart Of The Country










1997 Archive Alive
1997 13








2003 Lost Cabin Sessions


By 1979 the group had moved over to CBS and put out Ozark Mountain Daredevils in May 1980. This album did not feature Chappell or Canaday, and Walle only appeared on two songs, since producer Boylan insisted on bringing in session players for a more typical California country rock laid back sound that was popular at the time. But the country rock sound's popularity seemed to be on the wane at the dawn of the 80's as groups like the Ozarks saw their sales begin to slip away. CBS dropped the group after only one record.
In 1985, the band followed their erstwhile singer/drummer, Larry Lee, to Nashville to record a new album produced by Wendy Waldman. Lee briefly rejoined for this project, but Chowning quit again during the recording and once the album was finished, there was, surprisingly, no interest at all from any of the labels in Nashville. A small French company, Dixie Frog Records, eventually picked up the record and it was released in France as Heart of the Country in 1987. Many of the same songs were released in England in 1989 as Modern History on the Conifer label.
New Era Productions, a company formed by an old Springfield buddy of the group's, Benny Smith, agreed to fund another album of brand new material, 13. This was produced, mostly in Nashville, by Larry Lee, who played and sang on it as well. 13 was released in June 1997.
Also that year came Archive Alive, a live album. This CD features a selection of recordings taken from around 1973 at the Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City and the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis. This CD only includes songs written and played up until March 1973. Although it does feature songs which would appear on future album releases.
2003 saw the release of the remastered Lost Cabin Sessions with long lost recordings that were made during their early days together. Sometime during that period, they assembled a little eight-track studio in Springfield, and recorded 28 songs over a thirteen-hour day. The recordings on this CD represent that period, before the band even had a name. These are the recordings that impressed A&M enough to sign them to a long-term contract.

Don Felder - Airborne

In 1974, Felder was invited to join the Eagles. A Year later his friend Joe Walsh came also to the Eagles as replacement for Bernie Leadon, together they added a harder edge to the Eagles musical sound. The band started moving away from their earlier country based rock style. On the band's fourth album,One of these Nights, Felder sang lead vocal on the song Visions which he co-wrote with Don Henley, and was the only Eagles song that Felder ever sang lead vocal on.
In 1983, he released a rock and roll album titled Airborne which to date remains his only solo LP. He contributed the songs Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride) and All of You to the 1981 film Heavy Metal. In 1994, the Eagles regrouped for a concert aired on MTV, which resulted in the album Hell Freezes Over. Felder continued as a member of the Eagles through their 1999–2000 New Year's concerts. In 2001, Don was wrongful fired from the Eagles.
The Felder cuts from Heavy Metal Film are also included.

John David Souther

 











J.D. Souther first cut Longbranch Pennywhistle, together with Glen Frey(see: Eagles Fame for this album). After recording the eponymous John David Souther album in 1972, Souther formed the SHF Band with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay(see: Poco or Byrds Fame for these 2 albums).
Souther is probably best known for his well-crafted songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for the Eagles. How Long, which appears on the Eagles Long Road Out Of Eden was written by Souther and originally recorded on his first solo album in 1972. He also produced Linda Ronstadt's Don't Cry Now, and wrote songs for several of Ronstadt's multi-platinum albums, including Faithless Love from Heart Like A Wheel and White Rhythm and Blues included in her Living in the USA album. He also recorded several notable duets with Ronstadt, including Hasten Down the Wind, Prisoner in Disguise, and Sometimes You Can't Win. He wrote Run Like a Thief, which appeared on Home Plate by Bonnie Raitt. His biggest hit as a solo artist was his 1979 Orbison-influenced song You're Only Lonely. A collaboration with James Taylor called Her Town Too reached number 11 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. On October 14, 2008, Souther released If The World Was You, his first new release in 25 years.

Redwing = Poco in 5th gear

The Seeker recently found a long lost gem: The New Breed, a band with Timmy B. Schmidt, later of Poco and Eagles fame. The New Breed changed their name later to Glad and – when Timmy had left the band to join Poco. Redwing was of great fame in their hometown Sacramento and... in The Netherlands, where they toured after the release of every new album. These gigs are still in my mind as the best things I saw live on stage, together with the concert Poco did in it's original line-up in a double package with Fairport Convention.
Musically think of a mix of Poco and The Outlaws. Great singing, competing guitars and swinging like hell. They released 5 albums: Redwing (1971), What This Country Needs (1972), Take Me Home (1973), Dead Or Alive (1974) and Beyond the Sun and Stars (1975). Timmy returned shortly and can be heard on the 2nd album. Sadly enough these gems never were rereleased on cd, Fantasy did not even think of a great compilation album. Fortunately I was able to lay my hands on the first three LP's so I'll post them here, including scans of the original artwork, ripped from vinyl to AIFF and then to Flac lossless or 320 mp3, whatever you like.

If you'd like to know the complete Redwing story, there's a site dedicated to this band:

http://www.desktop21.com/redwing/

Edit: This article was first published on July 27, 2008 by bearwil.